Page turning device



March 20, 1951 B. BLEZ 2,545,839

PAGE TURNING DEVICE Filed Jan. 5, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FICH m35 FG A |NVENTOR. BRAM BLEZ ATTORNEYS March 20, 1951 B. BLEZ 2,545,839

PAGE TURNING DEVICE Filed Jan. 5, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGM INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 20, 1951 PAGE TURNING DEVICE Bram Blez, Tel Aviv, Israel, assignor of one-half to Alex Morris, Tel Benjamin, Israel Application January 5, 1949, Serial No. 69,249

This invention has as its object to provide'a 8 Claims. (Cl. A84-521) device for turning the pages of a book or sheets without seizing the pages with the hand, and preferably without using the hands at all.

The invention will be described hereinafter in its application to music sheets or books. It is, however, not limited to such application but may also serve other purposes, e. g. for allowing patients to turn the pages of books stood on a desk mounted above their beds, etc.

In printed music, it happens frequently that a passage continues without rest from one page to the next one, and the player has practically to know the passage by heart in order to play it uninterruptedly either before or after turning the page. Where in an orchestra two players share a desk, one of them may stop playing in order to turn the pages. Those who have .desks for themselves cannot so interrupt their play. The invention, therefore, aims at providing a device for turning the pages of the music sheet or book without necessitating interruption of the playing. The invention consists in a page-turning device comprising: a metal arm secured at one end to a metal hub; mechanical control means for making the arm and hub oscillate about the axis of the latter; an electromagnet mounted on the opposite end of the arm and connected to a source of current on the one hand through a lead, on the other hand through the body of said arm and hub and a stationary contact member bearing against said hub; and means for insulating the Contact member against the hub in a certain angular position of the latter.

While the device thus dened is a self-contained unit, it cannot operate without vspecial preparation of the pages to be turned, which consists in providing these with tabs of a magnetic metal for cooperation with the magnet of the device. For turning a page the arm is swung towards the latter until the magnet is near enough to the tab for attracting it. Then the arm is swung back and takes the page with it, turning it about the fold of the sheet or book. Towards the end of this movement the means provided for insulating the contact member from the hub enter into play and the magnet thus de-energized releases the page.

The mechanical control means are preferably so arranged that only one positive operation is required for swinging the arm from a position of' rest into the operative position in which it attracts the page, while the return movement goes on of its own accord. For example, a spring may be provided for urging the arm into the position of rest, while the positive control means may comprise a flexible traction cable of the Bowden type, and a treadle for pulling the cable.

By a further feature of the invention, the pageturning device .may be provided with means for turning back at will the page just turned forwards. U

Two embodiments of the invention are described in detail hereinafter, by way of example only, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a music .desk with a page-turning device according to the invenfv tion mounted thereon; i

Fig. 2 is a front view of the desk top on a larger scale;

Figs. 3 to 5 are simplied views from abovel of the page-turning device in three, different working positions;

Figs. 6 to 8 are views of .a detail of the de-v vice in three diierent working positions, corresponding respectively to those of Figs. 3 to 5;

Figs. 9 and 10 are respectively an axial section and a horizontal section of the hub portion of the device on a yet larger scale;

Fig. 11 is a wiring diagram of the device according to the preceding flgures;

Figs. 12 to 14 are fragmentary .detail views of a second embodiment of the invention in three diierent working positions; I

Figs. 15 and 16 show the control treadle of this second embodiment in side and front view, respectively;

Fig. 17 is a wiring diagram of the second ernbodiment. I

Turning first to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 11, this comprises a swingable hollow metal arm I xed to a hub 2 turnably arranged on a bracket or holder 3. 'I'he latter is provided with any suitable clamping or other iixing means (not shown) for permanent or .detachable mounting on the desk top 4, and may be insulated from said desk top 4. The free end of the arm I is bent down and carries an electromagnet 5 pointing towards the surface of the desk top. The hub 2 is a metal drum (Figs. 9 and 10) rotatable about a xed axle pin 6 which projects upwards from a socle 1 secured to the bracket 3. The drum contains a coil spring 8 wound on the pin B. The inner end of the spring is secured to pin 6, its outer end to the inner face of the drum. The spring urges the hub and arm into the position of rest of the device -see below) shown in Figs. 4, 9 andlO.

The winding of the magnet is connected at one end to the body of arm i by a wire 9 (Figs. '1 and 2), at the other end to a wire EB which passes insulatedly through the interior of arm I into the drum 2, and out of the latter through a hole provided in the top of the drum (Fig. 9) towards the source of current Il (see below). The part I0' of the wire I0 just outside the hub 2 is somewhat coiled (Figs. 1 and 6 to 8) in order to allow the wire to participate in the swinging movements of the arm without strain.-

or rupture. The circuit is completed by a wire I2 leading from the source of current to accon-` Cil 4. At the next stroke of the arm, the magnet bends the corner of the page I8 sidewards (Fig. 5). The moment when the magnet thus gets clear of the page I8 substantially coincides with its re-energization.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated by Figs. 12 to 17 is in principle similar to the first embodiment but has the additional feature that the arm can at will be made to turn back the page turned forwards by the last preceding op- -eration, which may be desirable, for example, in

the case of a da capo or during rehearsals. This object is attained by the iollowing arrangement:

tion of rest, the contact spring I3 bears against this strip or knob instead lof against the drum surface and the magnet circuit isthus broken (Figs. 7'; and 8)'. Y y

The source of current II may be a D. C. battery, e. g. a torchlight battery of one or several` cells accommodated ina cylindricalcasing, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. However, any other suitable source -of current maybe usedinstead,v

e. g. a transformer plugged toY the town network and supplying low-voltage current.

l A iiexible control cable l5, say'of. the Bowden type, is attached at one end to the side face ofthe drum 2, at the other end to a. treadlel..

I fthe treadle ispressed down (asshown in full lines in Fig. 1) thearm'swings into operative position. On releasing the treadle into the normal.

position marked in dotted linesin Fig. 1, the arm returnsinto the position of rest by the .action oi A recess Il is provided in the upper spring 8. edgeofthe desk top for accommodatingthe free end'of arm I'in the position of rest.

Fig. 2 shows a music book standing on the i whenever the page ends with a rest the player* may turn it by hand.

AsA already indicated above, the device is normally in the position of rest illustrated in Figs; 4 and '7, in which the arm is to be found on the left-hand side of the desk, slightly swept back so that the magnet 5 is lodged in recess il. The circ'uitofthe electromagnet` is broken, for the springrIFbears against knob Iii-without contactingr drum i2.

fulllline position of Fig. 1, the arm swings into theposition of Figs. 2, 3'and'6 which is the operational position proper. At the beginning oi this movement of the arm, the knob iii' moves from beneath spring I3 and allows the latter to make contact with the hub, whereby the magnet circuit is completed andr the magnet is energized. Iii-the' operational position the magnet attracts the` tab of page It, and when-the treadle is released, the'arm I is urged by spring 3 back into it'sposition of rest, taking the page I3 with it. On" reaching the position of Fig. 5 the magnet again becomes-defenergized and falls back into, recess I'If'while-page I8 followsfbygravityand settles'iace' downenV the desk; as shown in Fig;l

If now the operator presses thel treadle from the dotted-lineA position into the A-second contactspring 2@ (Figs. 12 to 14 and 171). is provided-in conjunction with the drum 2,

and the drum has a second insulating knob EI for cooperation with the spring lill in such a manner that the latter is brought out of contact with the drum in the operative position ci the arm (Fig. 12). Spring't is connected to the source oi current H by aline .2' connected in parallel tothe line I2 of spring I3. Both lines l2 and 22 pass through a switch 23 devised alternately to complete and break either circuit'. The switch is so arranged that normally the circuit oi line I2 remains completed, for normal op# eration as described above. By switching over, the circuit'of line l2 is broken and at once thereafterthe circuit of line 22 isA completed. Fig. 17l shows the neutral position of the switch through which it passes for a very short moment during each switching operation. The switch is preferably of the spring-loaded press button type-but it isV av matter' of course that anyother arrange'- ment'maybe chosen. It isparticularly ativan# tageous to mount the switch on the treadle so that the operator can with one movementY of the Figs. 12 to 14.k illustrate three different stages energized through the completion of the circuit of'line 22 and at the same time the arm swings into operative position and. takes the pagewith it; Shortly before the arm reaches the operative position, thatis, aboutv in the position illustrated` in Fig; 12, the operator releases the'switchland'A The release of thev switch breaks thecircuit of'line 22, andv fora short moment, while;

treadle.

the switch passes through the' neutral position, the magnet becomes de-energized. At this moment the page detachee itself fromV the magnet and continues by gravity its way into its original position on' the right-hand side of the desk.

When now theA switch returns into its normal po'- sition and' thereby completes the circuit of line I2, the tab IS is already too far from the'magnet' to be attracted again, so that the arm returns idly into its position of rest.

As has been stated above, the invention may be used for other purposes as Well. For example, many patients cannot or must not move to such an extent as toholda book and turn itspages'I but theyv are quite capable` of'holding a control' member in one hand and pressing or pulling it substantially Without moving the arm. In such a case, a bookrest may be mounted over the bed, itted with a page-turning device according to the invention, and the treadle Will be replaced by a hand-operated member for actuating the iiexible cable.

` I claim:

l. A leaf turner comprising a support structure, a metal hub mounted for rotation about its axis on said support structure and electrically insulated therefrom, mechanical control means for turning said hub about its axis, a metal arm secured at one end to said hub, an electro-magnet mounted on the free end of said arm and being insulated therefrom, a stationary contact member rigidly mounted on said. support structure and positioned to make sliding electrical contact with said hub, one terminal of said electromagnetbeing electrically connected to an insulated back lead Which extends along said arm to said hub and throughsaid hub to one terminal of a source of direct current, the other terminal of said electrcmagnet being connected to said arm, said Contact member being connected to the other terminal of said source of direct current, whereby current may iiow through said contact member and thence through said hub and arm to said electro-magnet, said hub carrying an insulated member positioned to be interposed between said hub and contact member in a pre-selected angular position of said hub, whereby to break electrical contact between said contact member and said hub.

2. A leaf turner comprising in combination a support adapted to be secured to a desk and electrically insulated therefrom, an electricallyconductive hub mounted on said support and turnable about its axis; mechanical control means for turning said hub, an electrically conductive arm secured to said hub, an electromagnet" mounted on the free end of said arm and insulated therefrom, a stationary contact member mounted on the support in sliding electrical contact with said hub, a lead connected to the contact member and adapted to be connected to one terminal of a source of direct electric current, a lead connecting the arm to one end of the electromagnet Winding, and an insulated back lead extending from the other end of the Winding along the arm to the hub and adapted to be connected to the other terminal of said current source, and means for insulating the contact member from the hub in a selected angular position of said hub.

3. A leaf turner comprising in combination a support adapted to be secured to a desk and electrically insulated therefrom, a metal hub mounted on the support and turnable about its axis, spring means adapted to urge the hub into a position of rest, mechanical control means for turning the hub out of the position of rest, a metal arm secured to the hub, an electromagnet mounted on the free end of the arm and electrically insulated therefrom, a source of direct current, a stationary contact member mounted on the support in sliding electric contact With the hub, a lead connecting the source of current to the contact member, a lead connecting the arm to one end of the electrcmagnet Winding, a back lead extending from the other end of the winding along the arm to the hub insulated from both and thence to the source of current, and means for insulating the contact member from the hub in the position of rest of the latter.

4. A leaf turner comprising in combination' an electrically insulating support adapted to be secured to a desk, an electrically conductive hub mounted on the support and turnable about its axis, spring means adapted to urge the hub into a position of rest, mechanical control means including a flexible traction cable for turning the hub out of the position of rest, an electrically conductive arm secured to the hub, an electromagnet mounted on the free end of the arm and insulated therefrom, a source of direct current, a stationary contact member mounted on the support in sliding electrical contact with the hub, a lead connecting one terminal of the source ci current to the contact member, a lead connecting the arm to one end of the electro-magnet winding, an insulated back lead extending from the other end of the winding along the arm to the hub and thence to the other terminal of the source of current, and means for insulating the contact member from the hub in the positionA of rest of the latter.

5. A leaf turner comprising in combination a support adapted to be secured to a desk, and elecrcally insulated therefrom, an electrically-conductive hub mounted on the support and turnable abcut its axis, spring means adapted to urge the hub into a position of rest, mechanical control means including a treadle-operated exible traction cable and a treadle adapted to operate the same for turning the hub out of the position of rest, an electrically-conductive arm secured to the hub, an electromagnet mounted on the free end of the arm, a source of direct current, a stationary contact member mounted on the support in sliding electric contact with the hub, a lead connecting one terminal of the source of current to the contact member, a lead connecting the arm te one end of the electromagnet Winding, a back lead extending from the other end of the Winding along the arm to the hub insulated from both and thence to the other terminal of the source of current, and means on the hub for insulating the Contact member from the hub in the position of rest of the latter.

6. A leaf turner comprising in combination an electrically insulating support adapted to be secured to a desk, a metal hub mounted on the support and turnable about its axis, spring means adapted to urge the hub into a position of rest, mechanical control means for turning the hub out of the position of rest, a metal arm secured to the hub, an electromagnet mounted on the free end of the arm, a source of direct current, a stationary contact member mounted on the support in sliding electric contact with the hub, a lead connecting the source of current to the contact member, a lead connecting the arm to one end of the electromagnet Winding, an insulated back lead extending from the other end of the Winding along the arm to the hub and connected to the source cf current, and a piece of insulating materia-l in the surface of the hub in such a position that the contact member bears against said insulating material in the position of rest of the hub.

7. A leaf turner comprising in combination an electrically insulated support adapted to be secured to a desk, a metal hub mounted on the support and turnable about its axis, spring means adapted to urge the hub into a position of rest, mechanical control means for turning the hub out of the position of rest, a hollow metal arm secured to the hub, an electromagnet mounted on the free end of the arm and electrically insulated ammessa therefionnavzsourceJofLdireeticurrent, a' stationary contact membermounted; on the support .in slid` ingrelectricfcontact with the hub, a lead connecting one'terniinallof the source of current to the contactimembenia lead: connecting the arm to ofgcurrent; andmeansr for insulating` the contact i member from the hub. in the position of rest of -thelatter.

8'; A leaf turner: comprising a support adapted. tobesecured toa desk'and `insulated therefrom,v

an' electrically-conductive` hub mounted on; the

support and turnable about its axis, spring meansv adaptcd'to urge the hubt'intoapositionrof rest,

and'v mechanical control means for,A turning the. liub out of" said position of` rest, an electrically-v conductive-arm1secured to said hub, a=source..of

direct-electrical current having power terminals,

an electromagnet mounted on thefreeend ofthe arm' and insulated therefrom, a stationary contactrmember mounted ,onA the supportandvposi` tioned to make sliding electrical Contact with said hub, said contact member being connected to the rst terminal of said source of current, a:

leadrccnnecting said arm to aterminalof the electromagnet, a back lead extending from the other terminal of the electromagnet alongthe arm to the; hub and thence,4 to. tliefisecond;l terminano! the-source 'of` current, said ,backleadabeing' in4 sulatedifrom said arm .and hub, means vforxin-U sulating the contact memberffrom the hubinthe: position of Yresttof said-hub; a-second stationaryf contact membery mounted. ony the support in; spaced relation to the rst contact member, said:-v seccnd contact member being positioned to make sliding electrical contact with said hub, a` lead connecting said second contact'member to the, first terminal of saidtsource of.current, meansA forinsulating said ysecond contact member. from said hub ina-selected angular positionof said hub othertban the position of rest, and an interrupter adapted normally to. break the-circuit throughcsa-id seccndnontact member, saidinterr rupter being manuallyoperable to close the cir.- cuity through said secondy contact Y mem-ber. and'VU simultaneouslyl breakv the. circuit throughsaid. rst contactmember. Y

BRAMLBLEZ.v

REFERENCES CITED` TheV following l ref erences' are Vof l record in thef ile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,134,024 Spitler Mar. 30, 1915 2,025,510` Hysmith Dec. 24, 1935 

